The sky hung low, with the sun seemingly buried, casting only a faint grayish light.
When Li Xiang opened his eyes, he saw a distant castle. Perched on a cliff, surrounded by jagged, menacing rocks, the castle resembled the horns of a devil under the dim sky. The path leading to the castle gates was twisted and uneven, with various gray stones scattered haphazardly on both sides.
This was the Land of Shadows, a place entirely engulfed by darkness, teeming with countless wraiths. These spirits relentlessly attempted to return to the world of the living, clawing and struggling against the high walls, but they could never cross over.
Because there stood an eternal gatekeeper, one who would never die, never age.
Battle and slaughter.
Whether they were humans, wraiths, or even gods, they all met their demise at her hands.
"Death is their ultimate destination," said Scathach, who stood before him, holding a crimson spear. "But you are still alive."
Li Xiang instinctively caught the spear, its weight nearly causing him to drop it.
"Too weak, Master. At this rate, you won't be able to save the world."
Li Xiang was taken aback by her words, but before he could process them, he saw her step back, and another crimson spear appeared in her hand.
"Be careful," she warned.
Li Xiang nodded, but the next moment, it felt as if he had been hit by a train barreling down the tracks.
Pain!
His entire body felt like it had been torn apart. He could clearly hear the bones in his chest creaking, and his body was embedded in the stone wall, nearly losing all consciousness.
How could this pain feel so real?
Wasn't this supposed to be just a memory?
"Stand up, Master."
The cold voice rang out.
Li Xiang, dazed and in pain, looked up at the calmly standing Scathach. He hadn't even seen her move.
Gritting his teeth, Li Xiang used the spear as a crutch, forcing himself to stand despite the immense pain.
Scathach skillfully twirled her spear, her expression unchanged by Li Xiang's pitiful state.
"I never go easy."
Her long legs, wrapped in semi-transparent purple stockings, stepped down, and with a sudden burst of power from her slender waist, her purple figure flashed before Li Xiang's eyes. The whistling sound was still echoing in the distance when the spear whipped across Li Xiang's body.
He lost consciousness.
He died.
"Irigar!"
Li Xiang woke up from the memory, his entire body feeling like it had been shattered. His face was pale and drenched in sweat as he yelled, "What was that memory all about?"
He had thought it would be like the Yin Qi Bullet, where the knowledge was directly transferred into his mind, but this was entirely different.
Not only was it a fully immersive experience, but it also came with intense pain and an insane level of difficulty.
Who would want to play a VR game like this? Stupid system.
[What's wrong?] Irigar asked, puzzled.
Li Xiang pressed his hand against his throbbing temple, still angry. "This training method is way too unreasonable!"
[That's just how Scathach is,] Irigar replied.
"Come on, where's the aftercare?"
[Don't be mad. There are no shortcuts. When you're teetering on the brink of life and death, your body develops instincts. Even though your current physical condition is a bit lacking, with the help of magic reinforcement, you'll quickly become proficient in spear techniques,] Irigar explained softly, her voice surprisingly gentle.
This system's AI is way too advanced.
"I'm going to lose my mind one of these days..." Li Xiang sighed and re-entered the memory.
"You're back?" Scathach didn't seem surprised. "If you're rested, pick up your spear and continue. This is purely a matter of technique, not magic. If you can't even endure this, then you're not qualified to be my disciple."
"I never said I wanted to be your disciple," Li Xiang muttered.
As soon as he spoke, he died again.
"Irigar, are you sure this is just a memory?"
Having died instantly once more, Li Xiang was now deeply suspicious.
[It is a memory. But she's not just a bunch of data; think of her as an intelligent NPC,] Irigar explained.
"I refuse to believe this!"
For the entire day, Li Xiang repeatedly bounced between death and consciousness until he finally collapsed onto his bed, utterly exhausted, and fell into a deep sleep.
A doll-like Irigar appeared in the room. She glanced at Li Xiang and used magic to gently cover him with a blanket.
After a moment, she moved closer to his face, and her soft golden magic enveloped him.
The exhaustion seemed to vanish, and Li Xiang's breathing became steady and calm.
Irigar's small figure sat at the bedside, her little feet swinging as she hummed a gentle lullaby.
[Queen of the Land of Shadows, Scathach, is teaching you the Mystical Spear Techniques. Current progress: 5%.]
The next morning, when Li Xiang woke up and saw this message, he felt utterly defeated.
He couldn't even remember how many times he died yesterday, and the result was only 5%. That meant he'd have to endure this for twenty more days to master it.
Damn it!
Li Xiang fumed in frustration.
And to think he had learned spear techniques, making him a Lancer. Stupid system! Why don't you just take away my EX Luck while you're at it?
But classes still had to be attended. Li Xiang struggled to get up, dressed, and made his way to the El-Melloi classroom.
Today's morning class was "Magic Circuits and Crest: Control and Restoration."
He arrived a bit early, so the class hadn't started yet.
As soon as he sat down, Flatt ran up to him and said, "You disappeared right after class on Friday. I didn't even get a chance to talk to you."
"I was practicing magic," Li Xiang replied.
"That's our future star of the El-Melloi classroom, always so diligent," Flatt said, patting him on the shoulder.
Li Xiang shook his head helplessly. "Did you want something?"
"You still haven't told me why you missed the entrance exam," Flatt said.
"You're still hung up on that? Fine, I'll tell you..." Li Xiang then recounted his story, omitting the part about the killing, and instead said that he used magic on the street and got caught by the Department of Policies and Law.
"You just don't know how those people in the Department of Policies and Law work. I've heard they have magical detectors installed all over London, and the moment someone uses magic, the enforcement unit is dispatched."
"I see."
Li Xiang finally understood why he was caught by Caules Forvedge so quickly after using magic, even though it was only for a brief moment. He then asked, "What if someone has a legitimate reason to use magic?"
"Anyone from the Mage's Association can use it if they have a valid reason. Outsiders will be detained first, no matter what," Flatt explained.
Seeing Li Xiang nod, Flatt remembered something and said, "You just arrived at the Clock Tower. Don't bury yourself in work—join some clubs to broaden your horizons."
"Clubs? The Clock Tower has clubs? I thought..."
"You thought it was all shut-ins who just stay home researching magic all day?" Flatt laughed. "Most of us are teenagers—how could we stay cooped up all the time?"
You're a teenager too!
Li Xiang mentally retorted.
"Is there a Far East Magic Napping Club?"
"What? No, there's no such thing as a napping club!"
"I'll check it out when I have time." Li Xiang pointed to the podium. "The teacher's here. Go back to your seat."
"Alright, we'll talk later."
Li Xiang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Magic Circuits and Magic Crests are not permanent. As 'organs' of a mage, they have their own lifespan. Even those with the longest lifespans, up to a thousand years, will eventually deteriorate. That's where adjusters and repairers come in—one specializes in managing the body's rejection of implanted circuits, while the other handles issues caused by combat or other non-natural damage..."
Waver began his lecture from the podium.
(T/L: The term "adjuster" refers to someone who manages or calibrates Magic Circuits, while "repairer" focuses on fixing issues with them.)